The present invention generally relates to generating graphics files, and more particularly to distributed, dynamic generation of graphics files.
Database applications that provide the capability to generate and view various graphs that depict selected data sets are generally known. One such system is the Cool ICE software system from Unisys Corporation. Version 1.0 of Cool ICE supported a browser-type interface to a database system, where the database system had the capability to dynamically generate graphics files in response to browser requests. The graphics files generally depicted selected data sets.
A drawback to dynamically generating graphics files in such an environment is that the process is generally computationally expensive. That is, many computer machine cycles are consumed in the process of generating a graphics file. A problem with the prior approach is that computation time that was spent generating graphics files took away from computation time available for processing other data-only requests.
A method and system that addresses the aforementioned problems, as well as other related problems, are therefore desirable.
A method and system for distributed, dynamic generation of graphics files are provided in various embodiments of the invention.
In a first embodiment, a method is provided for distributed, dynamic generation of graphics files in a data processing system that includes a client system coupled to a graphics server system. The method comprises generating on the client system a graphics file request including data to be graphed and a graph code indicative of a graph style; establishing communication with the graphics server system; transmitting the request to the graphics server system; generating on the graphics server system, in response to the graphics request, a graphics file containing a representation of a graph of the style indicated by the graph code and representing the data in the request; and transmitting the graphics file from the graphics server system to the client system.
A method for processing an HTTP request from a browser is provided in another embodiment of the invention. The browser is coupled to a network server, the network server is coupled to a database server, and the database server is coupled to a graphics server, wherein the database server is arranged to provide access to a database. The method comprises: submitting an information request to the database server in response to the HTTP request; reading data from the database in response to selection information in the information request; submitting a request to the graphics server in response to the data read from the database and a graph request in the HTTP request; generating a graphics file containing a representation of a graph, the graph of a style specified in the request to the graphics server and depicting the data read from the database; transmitting the graphics file to the database server; and transmitting the graphics file to the browser.
An apparatus for distributed, dynamic generation of a graphics file in a data processing system that includes a client system coupled to a graphics server system is provided in yet another embodiment. The apparatus comprises: means for generating on the client system a graphics file request including data to be graphed and a graph code indicative of a graph style; means for establishing communication with the graphics server system; means for transmitting the request to the graphics server system; means for generating on the graphics server system, in response to the graphics request, a graphics file containing a representation of a graph of the style indicated by the graph code and representing the data in the request; and means for transmitting the graphics file from the graphics server system to the client system.
In another embodiment, a system is provided for distributed, dynamic generation of graphics files. A database server system is configured and arranged with a service application and a graphics requester. The service application is arranged to generate a graphics file request that includes data to be graphed and a graph code indicative of a graph style. The graphics requestor is coupled to the service application and arranged to provide transmission of the graphics request and receive a generated graphics file. A graphics server system is coupled to the database system and includes a graphics socket server and a graphics server application. The graphics socket server is arranged to receive graphics requests and transmit graphics files, and the graphics server application is coupled to the graphics socket server and arranged to generate a graphics file in response to the graphics request
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment of the present invention. The figures and detailed description that follow provide additional example embodiments and aspects of the present invention.